Research

Research Grant Program

NORD's Research Grant Program provides seed money in small grants to academic scientists studying new treatments or diagnostics for rare diseases. The clinical researchers supported by NORD's research grants provide preliminary data indicating that a treatment (drug, device, or medical food) may be safe and effective when used for a larger number of patients. Researchers can then use the preliminary data to apply for larger multi-year government grants or to attract a commercial sponsor who will manufacture an orphan product and get it approved for marketing by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

Rare disease research funding opportunities being made available through NORD.

Rare disease research funding opportunities being made available through NORD Member-Organizations.

Read NORD's Research Program Policy to learn how NORD helps individuals, families, groups, or organizations sponsor research.

Research Grant Program

NORD 2009 Research Grant Recipients

The following researchers were chosen to receive grant funding during the MAC teleconference of November 9, 2009:

(1) Arteriovenous Malformation

Susan Y. Bookheimer, PhD; Neil Martin, MD
UCLA School of Medicine, Center for Cognitive Neurosciences,
Los Angeles, California

"Mapping Language Reorganization in AVM Patients with fMRI and Intraoperative Corticography"

(2) Essential Thrombocythemia

Alison R. Moliterno, MD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

"Genetic Basis of Essential Thrombocytosis"

(3) Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy (2 awards)

Puneet Opal, MD
Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois

"Cellular Basis of SCA1"


Jeremy D. Schmahmann, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

"Diffusion MRI Biomarkers of Cerebellar Circuits and Connections in SCA1 Mouse"

(4) Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (3 awards, with funding by the PMP Research Foundation)

Marc Pocard, MD PHD (In Honor Of Mel R.Kurtz)

The National Institute of Medical Research
Angiogenesis and Translational Research Department
Paris, France

"Development of Animal Models for the Study of Pseudonyxome and Evaluation of the Role of Anti-Angiogenesis in the Control of this Tumor."

Andrew Renehan, MD (In Honor Of Dutch Culbertson and Jerry Lewandowski)

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, University of Manchester,
Manchester, United Kingdom

"The Development and Global Gene Characterization of an Immortalized Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Cell Culture System for Pre Clinical Testing of Anti-tumor Therapies"


Herbert J. Zeh III (In Honor Of Dutch Culbertson and Jerry Lewandowski)

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

"Clonal Analyses of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) to Identify Novel Targets for Personalized Therapy"